The Holy War
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani mal’oon (1841-1908) had a debate with a Christian priest, Abdullah Atham, in Amritsar between May 22 and June 5, 1893 on the topic of “The Divinity of Christ”.
This was after Mirza was challenged by Atham due to Mirza’s absurd claims and abusive language against Prophet Isa A.S. (Jesus Christ).
In the debate Mirza, after becoming speechless, reverted to his usual tactics of death-prophecies and curses upon his opponents. We present an account of the debate and how it ended up as a cause of huge humiliation for Mirza Kadiani and his followers.
The Debate and the False Prophecy
At that time, Mirza Kadiani had only claimed to be “like the Messiah” and was still preparing to declare himself as the Messiah.
During the debate, Christians brought forward a dead body, a leper, and a blind man, challenging Mirza:
“The Quran states that Jesus (AS) revived the dead, gave sight to the blind, and cured lepers. If you are the true Messiah, demonstrate your power—revive this dead man, restore this blind man’s sight, and heal this leper.”
Mirza Kadiani, flustered, replied:
“I will pray tonight (Istikhara). If my god (yallash) permits me, I will do it; otherwise, I won’t.”
The Christians retorted:
“Jesus (AS) never needed to pray for permission to perform such miracles! You are a liar making excuses.”
Anyway they gave him one night to “consult his god (yallash).”
Mirza’s Desperate False Prophecy
Realizing he was trapped, Mirza, on the final day of the debate (June 5, 1893), made a dramatic prophecy to save face:
“After my prayer, my Lord has given me glad tidings that Abdullah Atham will die within 15 months from today.”
(Karamat-us-Sadiqeen, p. 121)
He further declared:
“I swear by Allah that if this prophecy fails—if Atham does not die within 15 months—then I am ready to face any punishment: humiliation, blackening of my face, hanging, or execution. If I am a liar, prepare the gallows for me, and consider me the most cursed of all liars and devils!”
(Jang-e-Muqaddas, pp. 211-189)
The Outcome: A Humiliating Failure
As the days passed, Mirza Kadiani and his followers grew increasingly distressed, frustrated, and desperate.
Days passed by and finally, only one day remained before the deadline (of the prophecy). Mirza’s spies brought news of Atham being alive, well and healthy. This news drastically increased Mirza’s panic and instead of relying on Allah, he resorted to occult practices and black magic — something Mirza was skilled in.
Mirza spent the whole night of the final day of the prophecy making his disciples recite certain incantations over chickpeas (probably black magic), and then made them throw the chickpeas in an abandoned well in Kadian.
(Seerat-ul-Mahdi, Vol. 1, p. 178)
Finally, the last day of the prophecy (September 6, 1894) arrived. Qadian was in mourning — Mirza’s followers wept, screamed, and begged Allah to kill Atham. One Pathan, Abdul Aziz, even banged his head against a wall, crying:
“O God, do not let the sun set until Atham dies!”
But the opposite happened. Instead of Atham’s death, Mirza’s humiliation unfolded. Christians celebrated by taking out a procession, beating effigies of Mirza, and demanding his hanging. Some even gathered outside his house with ropes, but Mirza locked himself indoors, enduring curses from the crowd.
The Aftermath: Mass Defections and Mockery
This fiasco exposed Mirza as a fraud. Dozens of his closest followers, including key figures, left him and converted to Christianity. Notable among them were:
- Muhammad Ismail (who arranged the debate)
- Muhammad Yusuf Qadiani (secretary of the debate)
- Mirza’s own cousin (by marriage), Mir Muhammad Saeed
People mocked Mirza, calling him “O liar, come out!” as he hid in shame.
Atham’s Satirical Poem
After his victory, Abdullah Atham wrote a mocking poem:
“Escaping Atham’s grip is hard for you,
He’ll snap your delicate wrists in two.
See with your eyes—Atham lives still,
How can you hide your lies, so shrill?
The world has shameless men, it’s true,
But you outshine them—what a view!
Why not ride a black-faced ass?
The terms you set—now eat your glass!”
Mirza’s Last-Ditch Defense: The Myth of Atham’s ‘Secret Repentance‘
After his humiliating failure in the 1893 Amritsar debate and the false prophecy of Atham’s death, Mirza attempted to save face by asserting that Abdullah Atham had secretly “repented in his heart” out of fear—but chose not to announce it publicly.
In “Tohfa-e-Golarhviya” and other books, Mirza wrote:
“Atham was so terrified of my prophecy that he inwardly repented, but his pride prevented him from declaring it openly.”
Reality Check:
- No Evidence – Atham never admitted any such fear or repentance. Instead, he mocked Mirza publicly after the prophecy failed.
- Contradiction – If Atham had truly “repented in his heart,” why did Mirza’s own followers (like Muhammad Ismail and Yusuf Qadiani) abandon him and convert to Christianity?
- Psychological Manipulation – This was a classic face-saving tactic by Mirza to explain why his divine prophecy flopped.
Historical Outcome:
- Atham survived the prophecy.
- Mirza’s followers lost faith, and many left the Ahmadiyya movement after this scandal.
- The Christian community celebrated the debate as a victory, further discrediting Mirza.
One Last Question:
A very important question that Mirza’s followers, the Kadianis, need to answer is, if Mirza knew Atham had secretly repented in his heart, why did he still perform black magic and made his cronies throw chickpeas in the blind well on the very LAST night of the prophecy? Did Mirza not believe in his own prophecies? Did Mirza not believe in yallash (the Kadiani god)?
Mirza’s claim that “Atham secretly repented” was a baseless excuse to cover up his failed prophecy. It holds no historical or logical weight, especially since Atham remained a vocal critic of Mirza until his death.
Legacy of a Fraud
This debate and failed prophecy shattered Mirza’s credibility, proving him to be a liar and a false claimant (dajjal and kazzab). His followers faced humiliation, and his reputation never recovered. The incident remains a damning indictment of his claims.
The Amritsar debate remains an indelible stain on Mirza’s legacy. His failed prophecy, followed by imaginary tales of repentance, cemented his reputation as a deceiver—one who, when cornered, resorted to fraud, falsehoods, and occult rituals rather than admit defeat.